Toron's Gym Leader Review Blog

[RichestAirPirate]

Hey mon! Wha gwan? It's me, Toron!

So, I tend to talk a lot about the human characters of Pokémon, specifically the Gym Leaders and Elite 4 members, but one day, while watching a series of videos ranking all the classic Mega Man Robot Masters, an idea popped into my funnel... What if I did this but with the Pokémon equivalent to the Robot Masters?

What if I reviewed the Gym Leaders of Pokémon?

And so, here we are today! This'll be my little blog that reviews all the Gym Leaders of the main series games! But first, a few things to get outta the way first.

1. Main series focus.​

I'll mainly focus on the core series Pokémon games the Gym Leaders appear in. However, I will look at the spin offs, anime, and manga on occasion.

2. All Gym Leaders will be covered. Even those that aren't fought or aren't gym leaders anymore.​

If they were a Gym Leader at one point in the series but have advanced or dropped down, I'll still cover them.

3. Trial Captains and Kahunas will be covered!​

Since Alola doesn't have Gym Leaders, we'll make a compromise. All the trial captains will be covered in this little blog! Kahunas too!

3. My opinions!​

These are all just my opinions, so please don't get super upset or angry if I don't think too kindly of your favorite. Please? We cool? We cool.

Before we get started, we gotta go over the criteria I'll be judging these characters under.

Design: I know a cover is not the book but I still think the cover should look nice to leave a good impression on me. How well do these characters look? If this franchise can give the Pokémon cool and unique designs, surely they can give the humans the same treatment, right?

Personality: How do they act? How well are they written? Are they funny? Cool? Charming? Boring? Sympathetic? What's their deal? What do they do outside of just being a hurdle in your journey? Do ya wanna be friends with these guys and take 'em to a TopGolf to dinner? (Real talk, that place is pretty dope. Y'all should go there sometime. Totally recommend it.)

Gym/Trial: This'll only apply to the Gym Leaders and Trial Captains. How well is their Gym challenge/Trial? Is it memorable? Is it fun? Is it a death trap that definitely should be killing the player? Or is it just... nothing?

Battle: Since these guys are basically meant to serve as boss battles, we gotta judge 'em based on how well they are as boss battles! How good are their teams? Is their fight a good challenge? A pushover? Or pretty difficult?

Memorability: Basically a result of all the other criteria. How does all of the other stuff add up to make them a memorable and interesting character when their time in the sun is up?

So, with all the outta the way, Lets-a go!

 

[RichestAirPirate]

Ah. Brock. Good ol' Brock the Rock. He's the first of many gym leaders you'll face in the series, so he's gotta set a big example for the player and the rest of his fellow glorified boss fights. Luckily, I think Takeshi here does a solid job. Pun intended. And it won't be the last.

Design: Brock's design is firm and solid. His eyes being thin actually helps him stand out and fits a lot of the poses he finds himself in. However, and this is probably because of the anime, his design can still look a little soft and friendly sometimes. I'm especially a fan of the HGSS look for him. Orange shirt with dark green cargo pants looks really well on him.

Personality: He's serious, determined, firm, and proud of his rock hard determination. That's just fine and all but the anime shows us a softer and humorous side to him, being a Pokémon Breeder and being obsessed with women. The games also like to tip their hat to this aspect of Brock. In LGPE, he's stated to not only like girls but also be training on the side to become a Pokémon Breeder. That's nice. However, he can still look pretty serious when it comes to battle time.

Gym: It's basically just a normal room with some rocks. It ain't bad, just kinda bland. But it is the first gym so eh.

Battle: Brock's choice of Rock Pokémon is... alright. Geodude is obvious. And I'd argue he's the reason Onix is as memorable as it is. His other choices for rock types like the fossils, Relicanth, and the occasional Rhydon/Rhyperior is pretty cool too. However, that Onix, while threatening for an early game opponent, is pretty much a joke in any subsequent appearances. It's got good defense and alright speed but garbage everything else, making it kind of a joke in any rematches or late game bouts.

Memorability: Overall, Brock's plenty memorable and important. The franchise's introduction to both rock types and gym leaders, he fills his role just fine. However, I feel like a lot of his memorability is due to the anime. Without that incarnation of the character having influence on his portrayals past gen 1, Brock's appeal kinda crumbles in my opinion.

On a scale of one to ten, I'd give Brock a clean, firm, and solid 7/10. The anime lowkey carries him a bit, but this rock can roll just fine. I like Brock.

 

[RichestAirPirate]

The 2nd gym leader we meet in the series, but the first we meet in the anime, Misty's up to the diving board now. And just like Brock, she's a real solid character, I think. But unlike Brock, I feel like she isn't carried as much by her anime appearance!

Design: Well, she's dressed like what you would expect from a swimmer. I do like that her swimsuit changes in each appearance (Red in RGB, Yellow in Yellow, and Blue in Gen 3.) and while they do look good, they're kind of nothing special. However, the anime gives us her classic yellow crop top, jean short shorts, red suspenders, red yellow and white sneakers, and small side ponytail. This is an iconic and very good design on its own, and fitting for how much traveling she does there. It's the design my mind goes to when I think of Misty... buuuuuuuuuuuut... I'm probably in the minority when I say this, but I prefer rounded hairstyle, white and blue bathing suit and jacket combo, and white flip flops of her HGSS look. I do like the LGPE design that kinda tries to mix both looks, even if it doesn't pull it off that well. Although that design is good too.

Personality: The games alone portray her as quite the character. She trains at the Seafoam Islands, looks up to Lorelei of the elite 4, and has dreams of getting a date at the Cerulean cape and actually gets pissed when we scare said date off lol. However, add on the anime though, and these traits are just enhanced. She can be sweet, cute, and even occasionally vain, but definitely has a hotheaded side to her that I really enjoy.

Gym: It's an indoor pool. Fitting for a swimmer. I do like its gen 4 look where its got chairs and floaties and stuff. It really feels like a spot where anyone would go swimming in. I also like the Gen 7 design, with the trainers diving off boards too. That's neat.

Battle: Staryu and Starmie are iconic Pokémon because of her. But I feel she shouldn't be using both of them. Psyduck/Golduck are good choices, likely added because of the anime, so props to LGPE for making that change. For her rematches and future appearances, I like that she has a mix of graceful swimmers like Lapras, Milotic, and Vaporeon, big and tougher powerhouses like Blastoise, Floatzel, and Gyarados, and... Quagsire. I just like that she has Quagsire.

Memorability: Probably the most memorable of the Kanto Gym leaders overall, maybe even more than Brock. A lively personality, great designs, and a good variety of Pokémon used in her battles. Yeah, I like Misty a lot. Although, and I don't mean to diss the legend that is Rachael Lillis (god bless her soul), but Misty kinda sounds a little bit like Tron Bonne from Mega Man Legends. They even share the same Japanese VA, Mayumi Iizuka. I have a feeling that little coincidence played a part in why Misty is memorable to me.

All in all, Misty's great. I really like her. So, on a scale of one to ten, I'd give this Sensational Sister of Cerulean City an extra clean 8/10. The Tomboyish Mermaid's super dope. A Kanto icon.

 

[RichestAirPirate]

The Lightning American! Er... Lieutenant. A wielder of Electric Pokémon. At this point in the series, the player's only seen a Pikachu. So Surge has a role to fill to show off true electric power.

Design: He's definitely a solider or general or commanding officer of sorts by the looks of him. You can tell he means business by his looks but that's sorta all there is to him. However, that Gen 4 design tho. Oooooh. The shades, tank top, the camo pants... Oh yeah. That's some good stuff. I love that. I also like that his poses show a sort of confident smile to him.

Personality: At first glance, he's a brash, gutsy, and intimidating trainer. He's been through war and is proud to brag about it. He's proud to shock you into paralysis and all that and will dominate you if you ain't got the guts to take him on. The Adventures manga uses this side of him to good effect since he's part of a special Team Rocket trio with Koga (we'll get to him later) and Sabrina (Y'ALL KNOW I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HER). His personality makes him an enjoyable character to watch. On a more comedic note, Surge does have a great fondness for Pikachu (because of course) that brings out a softer side to him. He'll even trade you a foreign Pikachu for your regular one in HGSS. That's nice. However, a part of Surge that I feel is overlooked is that he's a little paranoid and plants traps around his gym. In fact, in Masters, he states that his Pokémon still get a little jumpy and that he doesn't relax often, since "A little moment of relaxation can spell the end on the battlefield!" and "soldiers who stay on their toes live the longest!" That implies that deep down, he's got a little shell shock from the war. That's kinda sad, honestly. Makes me wanna give him a hug. But yeah, I think the Lieutenant is pretty nifty overall.

Gym: Out of all the Kanto gyms, this one is maybe the most infamous. Search a trash can. Find a switch. Press it. Can't find the other one? Sorry dude, do it all again. This gym is iconic in my opinion for that puzzle alone.

Battle: Voltorb and Raichu are fine but Pikachu? A Pokémon the player is already aware of? Eeeh. You can do better, Surge. Luckily, GSC, HGSS, and LGPE drop the Pikachu for other electric types, although he seems to use Electrode an awful lot. Btw, it kinda sucks that he can easily be trivialized by the player just catching a Diglett/Dugtrio in the cave right outside of Vermillion. Probably because of all the bombs he went through during the war... I like his choice of Magneton/Magnezone, Electabuzz/Electivire, and even the occasional Jolteon too. That's cool.

Memorability: While Surge has charm, I'd say he's not nearly as memorable as Brock and Misty. In fact, I'd argue he's the LEAST memorable of all the Kanto Gym leaders. Despite that, I still like him plenty. I'll always remember his appearance in the anime. That enormous stature (he's like 8 feet tall. What the fuck did he eat growing up to get that big-), that brutal beatdown in his first bout with Ash, and Maddie Blaustein's voice somehow lives rent free in my head. Although Patrick Seitz's portrayal of him in Masters is really good too, but then again, Patrick Seitz is just awesome every time he shows up in something lol.

All in all, while he's kind of overshadowed by his predecessors, Brock and Misty, Lt. Surge is still pretty cool all things considered. He's got some flaws like the sameness of his designs outside of Gen 4 and his kinda lacking gym battles, but he's still got stuff to like from his personality to his voice and the possibility of him being in major need of some R&R. I gotta give the Lightning American a 7/10. He's pretty cool.

Also he looks like Guile from Street Fighter and almost all of his Voltorbs know Sonic Boom lol

 

[RichestAirPirate]

The Nature Loving Princess. And representative for grass-types. The player has probably seen a good share of grass types at this point in the game, so lets see if Erika can bring out their true potential.

Design: She's very much designed after traditional Japanese feminine beauty and sticks to it. Nothing but a bunch of kimonos and headbands. Now, that's not bad per se. In fact, Erika's design is really good. My personal favorites are FRLG and LGPE but HGSS is definitely a close third. However, I would prefer some variety. I think it would be nice to see Erika wearing something else. She looks pretty and graceful but seriously girl, widen your wardrobe a lil bit. Although, I gotta ask. What was with the blue hair in her anime and stadium looks? It's weird.

Personality: At first, Erika's what you'd expect from her. Calm, quiet, ladylike, graceful, likes flowers, only collects Pokémon she finds attractive, or something a botanist would love at least. Oh, and she has narcolepsy. However, looking past that, we find a mischievous side to the character. She's known to spread a little gossip around, if her conversation with Jasmine in HGSS is anything to go off of. I find that pretty charming that she secretly likes to spread around rumors about what the gym leaders think of each other.

Gym: In some games, it's just a room with a bunch of flowers, cuttable trees, and female trainers. However, in Gen 4, it becomes a maze. An honestly kinda confusing maze. In gen 7, they take that maze idea and add the cuttable stuff back. That's pretty neat. Not a bad gym.

Battle: Her gym battles leading with Victreebel is definitely a surprise considering her character. Tangela's nice to rep the only pure Grass type in gen 1. And Vileplume is very fitting for her ace. However, Gen 2 replaces that with Bellossom, which fits even better. I also like that she not only uses these beautiful and graceful grass types like Vileplume, Bellossom, and Roserade, but also some ugly and meaner looking ones like Shiftry, Cradily, and Abomasnow. She must be a very open minded botanist.

Memorability: Erika's not nearly as memorable as some other Kanto Gym Leaders, but she's still got charm. She does look beautiful overall and she reps her type very well, but compared to Brock, Misty, and Giovanni, Erika's a little forgettable. Although she doesn't have much beyond her traditional beauty design and personality, what IS beyond that goes a long way. Love it when a calm, quiet, and traditional character has a mischievous and playful side.

Overall, Erika's neat all around. A good representative of the grass type, a tiny bit of spice in her personality, a beautiful albeit liiiiiittle bit stale design, and I like her a lot. I'd say Erika gets like... 7-8/10. Maybe a 7.5/10? Yeah. 7.5/10. Not as good as Misty, but I like her more than Brock and Surge.

 

[RichestAirPirate]

The Poisonous Ninja Master of Fuchsia City. And the first character that technically isn't a gym leader! However, he's still getting covered. Besides, he's pretty cool anyway.

Design: He's a ninja. ...Oh? You want me to elaborate on that? Lemme repeat that for you. He's a bloody ninja! That's instantly cool. Although, each generation changes how he looks a bit. Honestly, his LGPE design is a little bit too stereotypical pop culture ninja-y, if that makes sense. The scarf being his mask and his outfit looking more purple than black are kinda eh but the design overall is not bad. However, common HGSS W. That design is perfect and the one I think of when I think of Koga.

Personality: Koga's pretty sinister. He specializes in Poison types because he likes the horror and despair they can inflict on others. That's kinda sick when you think about it. And if the Adventures manga has anything to say about it, he can really work as an intimidating villain that can dispatch his foes with slow and painful demises. However, he's more than just a fierce and formidable ninja, he's got a caring side too, having knowledge of medicine and antidotes and even being a sensei. He also patrols the Safari Zone every now and then. And apparently, his Toxic TM has been passed down through his bloodline for the past 400 years! Was it his bloodline that discovered the move? Interesting... But in my opinion, the biggest part in Koga's personality is the fact that he's a father! When he became an elite 4 member, he passed down his gym to his daughter Janine. And when you see how he acts around her, you get the sense that he's not quite as ominous as his "Fwahaha!" will make you think. Also he's like one of the handful of actually good dads in this franchise, so that's nice too.

Gym: A dojo maze of invisible walls. Equal parts creative as it is confusing and kinda annoying. Yet it fits a ninja I suppose.

Battle: Kanto's got a lotta poison types, aaaand Koga kinda sucks at showing them off. In gen 1 and 3, he's got repeating evolutionary families which is pretty lame. Especially in Yellow where OOPS! ALL VENONAT FAMILY! However, his teams in GSC/HGSS are a lot cooler, even if it isn't all poison type. I like that he makes use of unique strategies like Baton Pass, Toxic stalling, Status infliction, Evasion boosting (even if that last one SUCKS).

Memorability: Koga's really memorable for all the stuff he does. The first gym leader to advance to a higher position. A loving father. A unique battle style. An interesting character. And a dope design all around. He's really cool.

So, when all is said and done, I gotta give Koga an 8/10. A very strong 8/10. While he's got a few flaws, he's got more than enough qualities to be a great character.

 

[RichestAirPirate]

And here comes Koga's successor. She's left with the duty of the Fuchsia gym, so she's got some shoes to fill.

Design: She's a ninja. Just like her father, she's a friggin' ninja. Again, that's like instantly cool. However, Janine has a little more fun with her design compared to Koga, who's a lot more serious about it. Although she has a slightly lighter color scheme with the use of pinks and purples here and there. However, I especially love the fishnets in her Adventures design. That looks really sick. Overall, Janine's design is very good!

Personality: Janine's a more peppy and fun loving character, but is determined to become the best there is in not just poison-type Pokémon usage, but Pokémon battling as a whole. She's very much a daddy's girl. In fact, her Spaceworld 1999 sprite has her striking the same pose as Koga in the final game. And in the FRLG, she shows up (albeit under the wrong name) as a student being trained by Koga in the arts of Poison Pokémon! I also love that she delivers him lunch. That's super adorable. The Adventures manga take things a really cool route. Because Koga vanished after Team Rocket's defeat, Janine was left alone with no guide and feels lost in the world. That's an excellent spice to her character. However, beyond that daddy's girl charm, it seems that Janine doesn't have that much going on about her. But there's one aspect that I'll touch on in just a second.

Gym: It's the same as her father's. Although, even her gym trainers are disguised as Janine, making the lil game of finding the real Janine a little more interesting.

Battle: Janine uses Poison types like her old man, but her battle style isn't as reliant on stall tactics and status affliction. I also like that she doesn't completely copy her father's teams and uses other Poison types he doesn't use like Roserade, Nidoqueen, Arbok, and Drapion. As a little bit of an added touch, she's actually the lowest level of all the Kanto Gym Leaders. I know it's because she's the newest and least experienced of the group, considering that she aspires to be stronger than her father and the player, it implies that she's a bit of an underdog and gets left behind a bit by her fellow gym leaders. That's really neat.

Memorability: Janine's memorable, but I feel like a good amount of that memorability is because of her ties to Koga. I wouldn't say she's a diet Koga, but I would definitely like to see her get her own thing, y'know? However, the one little touch of making her the newbie that falls behind the other Kanto Gym Leaders is a neat little detail that I feel is a good start in giving her quirks that are unique to her.

So, what score will Janine get? I'm gonna give her... an 8/10. However, I'd probably rank her lower than Misty and Koga. She's really cool, but if she had her own unique stuff, then I bet she'd become a whole lot better.

 

[There Is No Arceus]

i feel like Surge's gym is memorable for all the wrong reasons. I don't mind if a gym puzzle is used over and over if they got t right the first time, but the key is to get it right the first time. The fuchsia gym never changes between games, but that's ok because navigating the invisible walls is actually an interesting challenge. Surge's gym should have been updated in HGSS/LGPE like Erika, Blaine and Blue's gyms were.

 

[RichestAirPirate]

i feel like Surge's gym is memorable for all the wrong reasons. I don't mind if a gym puzzle is used over and over if they got t right the first time, but the key is to get it right the first time. The fuchsia gym never changes between games, but that's ok because navigating the invisible walls is actually an interesting challenge. Surge's gym should have been updated in HGSS/LGPE like Erika, Blaine and Blue's gyms were.

I definitely agree, but at the same time, that's why the gym is iconic, because it's so annoying.
I do think it should've been updated though. Maybe make it about avoiding traps on the ground like avoiding traps in a warzone? Surge is a soldier after all. And we're not gonna use actual landmines and spike pits because y'know, kids game... so maybe if you step on a trap, a buzzer sounds and you have to fight a trainer.

 

[RichestAirPirate]

Y'all know I've been waiting for this one! The Mistress of Psychic Pokémon. Named after a teenage witch. Or a sorceress in Arthurian legend. Or a Chinese date. The one and only Sabrina is up to bat. Oh, and I'll TRY not to sound so biased.

Design: Like a lot of the gen 1 cast, her design's changed throughout the years but in Sabrina's case, most of them seem more like updates or slight modifications to the previous one. They generally consist of red, black, and yellow/gold in terms of color scheme though. In gen 1, it looks kinda sci-fi like. In Yellow and Gen 2, it seems more streamlined and smoother. Gen 3 basically changes this to seem more like a rubber bodysuit of sorts. And gen 7 adds all these clasps and buckles and even a corset. She's also got jewelry on. The anime takes things a bit differently. She's dressed a bit militaristically with long boots but still wearing a red and yellow top, it's not a full on bodysuit and more of a skirt. Plus the yellow is just for the buttons and the black is on her sides and cuffs. The Adventures manga just puts her in a Team Rocket logo shirt, a black bodysuit underneath, white gloves and shoes and calls it a day. It's simple, but works just fine. However, one thing that remains constant with Sabrina is her hair being rather long and in the games and manga, it flows smoothly and almost magically. It's hard to imagine Sabrina without her long hair. But HGSS, being the GOATED games they are, gave the psychic specialist a new cut and what I would describe as casual wear. A pink crop top, white jeans, neon green bracelets? This woman was updated perfectly for the late 2000s/early 2010s. And the redesign looks amazing. I know this part is getting long but I gotta bring up Bellelba here. Her design is very fitting for an evil magic sorceress queen type character. Love the fan too, brings to mind a noblewoman (All she needs to do is the "OHOHOHO!" and we all good.) If I had to pick a favorite Sabrina design, I'd... have issues. They're all pretty cool and it's a very close race between LGPE and HGSS. But all in all, out of all the Kanto crew, they feel like the devs liked dressing this one up the most.

Personality: A stoic, reserved, and calm woman that dislikes unnecessary fighting. But at the same time, she has great psychic powers and can communicate with her Pokémon telepathically and even see into the future, up to 3 years even! That's pretty cool, if you ask me. I do like that she's not very expressive. Maybe being too lively would result in her psychic powers going out of control. However, I just have a thing for stoic and deadpan characters in media. Still, Sabrina is not above showing some emotion and does give the occasional smile. Heck, she even becomes an actor in BW2 and apparently, can get quite caught up in her role! However, the concept of a stoic girl with powerful psychic powers is mysterious and kinda ominous, and I feel like the anime and manga teams agreed with me on that. Anime!Sabrina is scary and I love her. Completely devoid of emotion due to being obsessed with her psychic powers and turns people into dolls while she holds a doll version of her child self? You could make a horror film outta that, maybe. Adventures!Sabrina, on the other hand, is similarly really cool. Cunning and almost always having this evil smirk on her face as she tricks and toys with her opponents. However, we'll touch upon Adventures!Sabrina more in a bit...

Gym: A series of warp panels. Pick the right sequence to hopefully make your way to Sabby herself. Not bad, but the player already got used to warp panels in Silph Co. Could've done something more unique. However, I will praise how the gym looks. Specifically in Gen 4 with its futuristic vibe, and ESPECIALLY in Gen 7, where it's pretty much a mini city and you're on the rooftops! Like, how the hell did they design that?! Is it some kinda psychic illusion?! ...WAIT THAT MAKES SENSE-

Battle: Sabrina's teams are alright. I'm not sure if I like that she uses both Kadabra and Alakazam in her Gen 1 and 3 battles but that's alright. However, the Yellow team is kinda bad. I get what the plan was. Make it look like Abra was evolving as the fight went on just like the anime but it's poor variety. Also LEVEL 50?! WHEN YOU'RE LIKE MID 30s MAYBE EARLY 40s?! Hey, Koga had the same issue, but his team was trash. Sabrina's packing OP psychic types that are much higher level than you. However, beyond that, the Johto games give her Mr. Mime, Espeon, and Alakazam. Those 3 are fine, especially when you consider that Will doesn't use them. LGPE gives her the different psychic lines of Kanto so Slowbro, Hypno, and Jynx are on her roster too. HGSS and BW2 give her some other cool additions like Gallade, Slowking, Sigilyph, Metagross, Swoobat in Pokéstar Studios, and even a damn Mewtwo in a downloadable PWT tournament. Wow. They gave her all kinds of psychic firepower.

Memorability: Sabrina's definitely one of the more popular gym leaders and I feel like she kinda rivals Giovanni for 3rd most memorable gym leader of Kanto. Although, G man kinda has an edge but we'll get to him later. From her many designs, to her strong teams, to her appearance outside of battle, I feel like she was one of the developer's favorites. Her little 3 episode arc in the anime is one of the most iconic moments in the original season and maybe the entire anime as a whole for its creepy vibes, but I feel like it is a CRIME we never got to see Sabrina come back in the anime after that. I wonder how her family's doing now that Haunter patched things up. However, we gotta talk about Adventures!Sabrina. I got mixed feelings on her. On one hand, yes. She does a lot and yes, this is the Sabrina that officially met Bugsy (we'll get to him soon enough) and thus made AdvantageShipping a thing... but on the other hand, you can tell Sabrina was the author's favorite character. She got away with a lot. Commanded Zap-Mol-Cuno (the bird abomination), got a whole scene bathing with Red that we honestly didn't need to see, hung Bugsy like laundry when he was pretty much in the driver's seat the whole match, and just for good measure, managed to get a little cameo in the BW2 at Pokéstar Studios (DID THEY NOT DO A BACKGROUND CHECK?!). So uh yeah, I like Adventures!Sabrina but ngl she got a loooooooot of special treatment.

So, what do I think of Sabrina overall? Well, I don't think this'll shock anyone considering who I am but um... 10/10. Great designs, strong teams, memorable appearances, an interesting personality... what's not to love about her?

 

[RichestAirPirate]

The hotheaded quiz master! And a rep for fire types! Let's see how well this old fart can do.

Design: Blaine's in a similar case to Sabrina where his designs are less like full changes and more like little updates and changes to each other. A man with a shirt and tie, pants, white lab coat, and glasses. Pretty straightforward. He definitely looks like a scientist. The LGPE design basically perfects this scientist look for him while also adding a little bit of a flame motif to his tie, even making it a little ripped as if it were burnt off slightly! That's nice! And in HGSS... dude. THEY MADE HIM INTO A PIMP. I love it! Blaine's got great designs.

Personality: A lively old timer with a penchant for quirky quizzes. I really like it. He's a lot of fun! That said, I do like that he has a history with the scientists of Kanto and Mr. Fuji. Considering the Cinnabar Mansion, it is likely that he might have ties to the creation of Mewtwo. That idea is expanded upon in the Adventures manga, where not only was he the creator of Mewtwo, he literally has some genetic link to the creature! That's an awesome touch! Adventures also shows us a more serious side to the old man. So yeah, I really like Blaine's personality and portrayals.

Gym: A series of questions challenging your knowledge of Pokémon. That's cool. I also love the Gen 7 take on it, where it looks like a quiz game show. It even has little Blaine doll fireworks! That's dope! Unfortunately, the Johto games caused all of Cinnabar to erupt. But Blaine relocated his gym to the Seafoam Islands like a boss! Sadly, it doesn't have any quiz questions anymore... In gen 2, it's just him. But in Gen 4, it's more of a maze with trainers, so that's okay I suppose...

Battle: RGB/FRLG give him the Ponyta and Growlithe families, which is pretty lame. However, Yellow gives him 3 different fire type families. Although they are at a very high level. The Johto games give him Magmar and Magcargo which is fine considering Johto has a distinct lack of fire types outside of Cyndaquil. I also like that the remakes take a page of Emerald Flannery's book by having him use Sunny Day + White Herb Overheat. That's some nice strategy there. Other teams give him more Kanto fire types like Flareon and Charizard. Also, nice on the PWT for giving him Heat Rotom. His HGSS rematch gives him Camerupt, Houndoom, Torkoal, and Magmortar. Now, these teams are fine... but it does raise one question. What's Blaine's ace? In the Kanto games and the PWT, it's Arcanine. But in the Johto Gym battles, it's Rapidash. But in the anime and HGSS rematch, it's Magmar/Magmortar. WHICH ONE IS IT?!

Memorability: I really remember Blaine for a number of reasons. His hilarious gen 4 design, his fun personality, his interesting Adventures incarnation, and his confusing ace situation. I do really like him though! However, I do wish the games expanded upon his story a tad more...

I gotta give the quizmaster an 8/10. A lot of 8s, yes I know, but Kanto's got some really cool gym leaders, even if they have their own little flaws here in there in terms of their story and have to rely on other incarnations to flesh em out a bit. However, our next gym leader doesn't really have this flaw...

 

[RichestAirPirate]

The Self Proclaimed Strongest Trainer in the world. Head of Team Rocket. And a TERRIBLE father. I got a lot to say about him, so lets begin.

Design: He's just a dude in a suit. Not much else to it. However, that's his design's true strength. Considering he is the head honcho of what's basically the Pokémon mafia, this design is perfect. Unlike other evil team leaders, there's no show with Giovanni. No exaggeration. No bullshit. No clutter. Nothing. What you see is what you get. A businessman. A cold, calculated, and cunning mafia boss. With that conceited and sinister smirk on his face, you're intimidated by him. In Gen 4 and 5, they give him a trench coat and fedora, fitting for his status as the fallen leader of Team Rocket. He's trying to lay low and keep his identity hidden, I suppose. I've guess if it works for Mutant Turtles, it can work for him. I also like that this appearance in gen 7 doesn't change his suit much, only changing the Rocket logo to the Rainbow Rocket one. I'm not sure how to feel about the anime making him wear an Orange suit early on, but Giovanni only made space appearances in the anime and they eventually swapped the orange out for more black attires.

Personality: Like I said, what you see with Giovanni is what you get. A cunning, intimidating, calculated, and evil man. He looks like someone that you're playing with your life with just for opposing him. And when you crush him, he disbands Team Rocket and vanishes. But he's wasn't done yet though. He threw away everything and abandoned his son for the pursuit of power and the revival of Team Rocket. Aaaaand then that dream got crushed by another preteen not long after. However, his appearance in BW2 makes you wonder if he's truly given up reviving Team Rocket and wishes to possibly reform for real. If that was the case, then good on him. Alas, this guy is part of gen 1, and so he must get milked at least a little bit. And USUM gives us an Alternate Universe Giovanni that had succeeded in taking over the world and now turns his sights on conquering the universe, and thus kickstarts Giovanni as Pokémon's reoccurring and seemingly irredeemable villain. That's not bad per se, I do like how he manipulates others in USUM and Pokémon Masters for his own schemes, but I got my own gripes with Giovanni being this never changing evil dude. His Adventures incarnation seems to be more interesting, however. While definitely ruthless, he's more than just a one note evil businessman. He seems to know when to act and when not to and he ACTUALLY CARES ABOUT HIS SON and isn't above working with the heroes when it benefits him. I've only seen this kind of stuff and haven't read past the GSC arc, so I don't have a full opinion on that version of him yet.

Gym: Arrow tile maze. I hate them. I really do...

Battle: He's a ground type expert. Although a few of those showed up in early fights with him, his gym battles give him full ground type types. HGSS drop the mono ground team and instead give him Honchkrow and Kangaskhan. Honchkrow is lowkey the PERFECT fit for him. The PWT gives him more ground types like Marowak (a little ironic considering Team Rocket's ties to the species), Sandslash, Garchomp, Hippowdon, Golem, Gliscor, and Krookodile. USUM and Masters give him Mega Mewtwo, of course. However, I also associate him with Rhyperior. THAT is a Pokémon that definitely fits the "strongest" trainer.

Memorability: This is Pokémon's most famous big bad. And he definitely is intimidating and memorable. However, I have my gripes with him being a reoccurring villain. It sort of throws away the lingering plot thread of Giovanni turning over a new leaf that post HGSS and BW2 sorta left hanging. In fact, I recently learned that it wasn't initially gonna be this way! I hear that an early concept for the Rainbow Rocket story had it all be the doing of a Rocket grunt in disguise and that the real Giovanni was going to help Red and Blue clean things up in the end and vanish to become a person that his son could be proud of. That sounds like an awesome way to close out on Giovanni's story, making him actually try to be a better person. If only that were the case... Still, Giovanni's plenty memorable as an evil team leader and a gym leader.

Giovanni's really good as a villain and a gym leader, but I feel like my opinion on him has decreased considering his RR version from another universe. Them basically tossing his possible reformation plot thread into the garbage and replacing his current universe version with the new one just so the series can have a reoccurring villain kinda upsets me. Still, Giovanni's dope and intimidating even if he's kinda locked to being just one thing. I give this G man a 7/10. It would've been higher if he was allowed to actually develop but as it stands, he's a fine enough character.

 

[RichestAirPirate]

Blue. Or Green if you're from Japan. Or was his name insert some kind of stupid rival name here? Whatever, he's the first rival, the first champion battle, and current Viridian City Gym Leader.

Design: Y'know, Blue's designs are pretty simplistic all things considered. In Gen 1 and 2, A solid blue, sometimes purple, shirt with black pants and brown shoes. Not especially notable but it's fine. In Gen 3, it's a black shirt with a purple pants and grey shoes. There's some purple wristbands and even a fanny pack on his waist. A good redesign that adds a little more detail to things but isn't complicated. HGSS gives him a black jacket with brown pants and grey shoes. Now this is a design I vibe with and considering Blue's character in the games, it fits him very well. LGPE gives us something mixes elements from all over the place. The black pants and brown shoes are back, but so is the Blue shirt. The fanny pack makes a return, although now it goes over his shoulder. A good look overall. A very good update on the old with a couple elements from other looks. However, Sun and Moon earns my spot for best Blue design. It's simple, just like the rest of his attires, but very effective for the type of guy he is in those games. A black button up short sleeve collared shirt with sunglasses, green shorts, green and white shoes, and a grey pack over his shoulder. It's a look that says "I'm on vacation" without being super in your face with it. I love it. I also love they never change Blue's hairstyle. They clearly know that it's a key element to identifying him. Although, and this isn't necessarily about Blue so I'll touch on it later, but there is one little side effect to his designs.

Personality: In his early years, he's cocky, brash, kinda unfriendly, confident, and always one step ahead of the player. That's a great starting point for a character designed to be a rival. He's always snarky, quippy, and combined with his smug smirk, he's built to get under your skin and live rent free in your mind. However, after a humbling, he mellows out. And so, the rest of the games give us a more mellowed out Blue. He's still got some cockiness in him, but you can tell he's not the same smug entitled jerk he was before. The Adventures Manga, on the other hand, give us something completely different. In that continuity, Blue is serious, calm, focused, and very dedicated to training Pokémon, even taking up a brief mentor role to train Yellow. His cockiness is rarely seen. That is a really unique take on Blue and one that I like a lot.

Gym: In Gen 2, it's basically just a room. But in Gen 4... IT'S THE ARROW TILES AGAIN! DAMNIT-

Battle: Blue's team constantly changes across all of his appearances, which makes sense, he always picks the starter strong against yours and has 2 other Pokémon to form a grass/fire/water core based on that selected starter. However, post gen 1, he's got a pretty consistent squad of Pokémon. Pidgeot, Alakazam, Rhydon/Rhyperior, Arcanine, Gyarados, Machamp, and Exeggutor. There's even occasional appearances from Tyranitar and Aerodactyl. Tauros is a recent addition thanks to LGPE. A good former champion should know how to have a well rounded and powerful team. I also like that all incarnations and adaptations of Blue continue this trend of giving him powerful and type diverse Pokémon that he shuffles around on occasion.

Memorability: Blue's very memorable, appearing in the series as much as his opp turned homie, Red. He's the first rival of the series, has a nice character development, and laid the groundwork for many other characters to follow. His designs are pretty good too. So... remember when I said Blue's got a little bit of a side effect to his designs? Well, I sorta fibbed. That side effect was to not just his designs but also his personality and memorability.

The Gary Oak Side Tangent: Blue's memorability is, in my opinion, kinda the result of his anime counterpart, Gary Oak. That's not unheard of. Brock and Misty (and to a lesser extent Sabrina) also owe a good amount of their memorability to their anime counterparts. However, with Blue and Gary, it's not that simple. I mean, yeah. Gary is basically the anime's take on Blue in the same way Ash is the anime's take on Red. However, when you look at Red and Ash in terms of personality, design and story, you can tell they're two VERY different people. But with Blue and Gary, they look and act almost the exact same way. Cocky, arrogant, always one step ahead, eventually gets humbled. That would make Gary a good adaptation of Blue, and he is, but since their designs are near identical and Gary's future appearances change him to match FRLG and HGSS designs for Blue. I kinda feel like Gary adapts too much from his game counterpart. I know Gary stops being a trainer and becomes a researcher, unlike Blue who remains a trainer even after being knocked down a peg, but it still irks me a little that these two different characters from very different continuities not only look alike, but also act alike. And considering that "Gary" is one of the names you can give to Blue in some of the games and that many people got into the games because of the anime, some people don't remember Blue as Blue. Instead, he's remembered as Gary. Do I hate Gary? No. I think he's a fine character, I just have a problem with how he copied Blue's whole flow, word for word, bar for bar for a long while until finally getting some real stuff of his own.
TLDR: Blue is memorable to a lot of people because of Gary and I don't really like that.

Blue is definitely a great character. Neat designs, a memorable personality that develops after his first appearance, and a very powerful team. There's a lot to like about Blue. Although I'm still not that big of a fan of how much his anime counterpart took after him, Blue himself has more than enough unique stuff to make him stand out to players that know the difference. With that, I give Blue a rating of 9/10. He's a lot of fun.

And just like that, the Kanto region is done! Coming up next, a whole new world to live in, a whole new way to see, and a whole new place with a brand new attitude! Johto is coming soon!

 

[RichestAirPirate]

We did it folks. We made it to Johto! Aka: Kanto 2: Electric Boogaloo. And we begin with Birdman.

Design: I feel like the Johto Gym Leaders are sorta upgraded versions of existing trainer classes. In Falkner's case, he's basically the cooler Bird Keeper. And he is dressed like it. He appears dressed in traditional Japanese falconry clothing. A lot of blues are used. In Gen 2, it seems a bit pale in terms of color scheme but that's probably just an art style thing. I like that he has Zephyr Badge on his chest too. In Gen 4 though, a bit more detail is added to the attire overall. However, one thing that is kept constant is his cut. A blue asymmetrical hairstyle that covers one eye. In gen 4, the hairstyle becomes a more dark blue. This dude was rocking that stereotypical emo hairstyle before emo was really mainstream lol. Was this hairstyle a combo thing for boys in Japan? I dunno, but it definitely helped Falkner stand out. I really like Falkner's design.

Personality: In the games, he seems quite serious about honoring bird Pokémon. He received the role of gym leader from his father, we'll get to that guy later, and apparently all his birds are from his father. Hm... Bit of a daddy's boy? It's clear he holds his old man in high regard, even arguing with his girlfriend fellow gym leader Janine over who has the better dad, which actually kinda annoys Falkner. (I'm sorry but Janine wins that argument easily also people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones). Beyond that, he seems like a very traditional and serious type of trainer in general. The manga gives Falkner a bit more to do by making him a cop. That's fine and all but a bit random, like why a police officer of all things? I suppose having a Birds Eye view on criminals would be handy, but I haven't seen police officers use birds before... The anime seems to take Falkner into a bit of a different direction. He takes pride in bird Pokémon as always, but almost to the point of where he's flamboyant and has a holier than thou type attitude. He's also a hypocrite lol. I feel like this part of Falkner was adapted to his appearance in Stadium 2, I mean... just look at his portrait and dialogue and tell me he doesn't look like a pompous jerk. I think each individual portrayal of Falkner is good, but I think that they'd do better if they were combined in a way. Take the serious, dedicated, and focused demeanor of Game and Manga Falkner and give him the occasional cocky and pretty boy side of Anime Falkner and you'd have a really good character.

Gym: It's pretty much nothing in Gen 2, but in Gen 4, it's a whole raised platform. That doesn't look safe at all but it's better than nothing.

Battle: This dude is the weakest gym leader in the whole series. A level 7 Pidgey and a level 9 Pidgeotto? Really? Well, HGSS buff their levels to level 9 and 13 respectively but still. I know he's the first gym but this is kinda sad. No Johto birds? At all? His HGSS rematch team is better, but it could've had more variety. I get he's a bird keeper so giving him the various regional birds makes sense, but it's kinda boring. I do like the inclusion of Honchkrow though. The PWT gives him Dodrio, Xatu, Fearow, and even some non-bird flying types in the form of Crobat and Aerodactyl. Also, he gets Lugia. Cuz why not. So yeah, birdman really learned to lock in on his Flying-Type firepower.

Memorability: Out of all gym leaders, I think the Johto Gym leaders are among the most forgettable overall (aside from maybe the Kalos ones). With this in mind, Falkner's memorability is odd. If there's one thing to remember him for, it's his gym battle being pretty pathetic, even for first gym standards. He does have a really good design and a solid personalities, but I feel like one of the more overlooked aspects of Falkner is that he's kind of a counterpart to Janine. Both are dressed in Japanese style clothing, Falkner's blue while Janine's more purple (analogous colors ftw), both debuted in Gen 2, and both inherited their gyms from their fathers. However, while we know Janine's dad is alive and well, Falkner's is MIA. Actually, the status of his pops seems to vary depending on the continuity. In the games, he's apparently on the road and training but Falkner's dialogue in the PWT implies that he kicked the bucket at some point! What happened?! In the manga, we know that his dad is still alive and well. He even has a name, Walker, and is considered a vagabond of sorts. Why? Well, I suppose since Pokémon is heavily based on Japanese culture, Walker wouldn't really be super involved with Falkner's life. It's also not the first time a dad in Pokémon is mysteriously MIA, but considering how often Falkner brings him up, you'd think we'd get some sort of confirmation of his status in the games. I think that really helps Falkner be memorable in some way.

Despite his flaws like his mediocre initial gym battle, I think Falkner's quirks like his PWT battle arsenal, his great design, his ties to Janine, his different personalities, and the mystery behind his father make for stuff that help him feel special. I gotta rate Falkner a very strong 8/10. Not even that, I'd probably give him like an 8.5 or even 8.999999 or something. He's great but there's some things that hold him back just a bit. Still, I love Falkner overall.

 

[RichestAirPirate]

Oh boy. Y'all already know I was waiting to talk about this one. It's time for him. The Walking Bug Encyclopedia, The Gym Leader of Azalea Town, Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time for my godson.

Design: Similar to Falkner, Bugsy's design feels like an upgraded version of an existing trainer class. This time, Bugsy is pretty much a souped up bug catcher. In Gen 2, he wears a light green collared button up shirt with white accents and matching shorts, with socks, brown shoes that seem to be velcro, a brown belt, and a butterfly net. He also has ruffled purple hair, black eyes, a magnifying glass in his left shirt pocket, and the Hive Badge is placed on his left upper arm. The shorts and net are more or less staples for the bug catchers, so it makes sense for Bugsy to wear them. This design is pretty good overall. You can tell he looks like more than your average bug catcher. In Gen 4 though, he's given quite a touch up. His attire has more detail, his shirt now is half dark green, half light green, he's given a brown waist pack on his right hip to hold his magnifying glass (and a second waist pack on his backside that you'll only notice if you were to spin his Masters EX model for some reason), his white socks now have a light green stripe, he's given a yellow ascot/tie, and is given purple eyes to match his hair. This design not only takes the bug catcher-esque look of his Gen 2 design with a Boy Scout-like style. He looks more dedicated to his studies with the pack on his waist (why does he have one on his rear) than the rest of the bug catchers you'll face. Although I do prefer the Gen 4 design, I kinda miss the Hive Badge on the old design. That would've worked so well with the Boy Scout angle they went with the Gen 4 design. Overall, Bugsy's design is simple but very effective. A very fitting upgrade over the usual bug catcher. I love both looks so much. (Okay but fr one more time, WHY DOES HE HAVE A BAG ON HIS ASS-)

Personality: In case you can't tell by his name. Bugsy is all about bugs. He catches them, studies them, trains them, all that stuff. There have been benefits to this though. His knowledge on bug-types have led him to being an authority figure for bug type research and he's even discovered the move, Fury Cutter. Not a lotta trainers can claim they straight up discovered a move and made it into a TM. Overall, he's a pretty positive guy that really really likes bugs and will talk about 'em nonstop, even when it makes him say things that'll embarrass him later. He even gets so obsessed with them, that it'll actually kinda disturb other people. He also claims a desire to be ever loyal to the type. Unlike other young trainers who eventually grow out of their bug obsession, Bugsy claims that he'll never stop liking bug Pokémon! He's really hyperfixated on them (Neurodivergent?), but with the knowledge that most bug catchers are just hobbyists, it makes you wonder if Bugsy ever feels... lonely in his hobby due to the lack of diehard bug fans. The anime gives us a rather fun take on the character. Instead of making him a nerdy bug obsessed dork, we get a rather competitive and kind of snarky bug expert that uses a bug-type's habitat and abilities in battle. That's really neat! The Adventures Manga seems to expand on the researcher side of Bugsy, making him not only utilize some more bug quirks, but also make him study the Unown in the Ruins of Alph. Now, this is cool and all, but the Ruins of Alph aren't necessarily close to Azalea Town, so it's a bit odd to have Bugsy study the place so much. Still, despite the more dramatic and kinda high stakes Adventures can be, he's still a friendly guy in general. Also Adventures Bugsy is the one that met Sabrina so I suppose I can't complain too much.

Gym: In Gen 2, it's just a sort of room with trainers. It's meant to be a maze but it's a kinda trash maze. In Gen 4, it's completely different. It uses these little spider platforms and you have to pick the right path for them to go down. That's pretty clever. Plus, I do like how the gym looks. It has an autumn forest-y feel.

Battle: Okay. As much praise as I've given Bugsy, I gotta give him some flack here. this mf's team is trash. I like the Scyther. it makes sense for him to have. And in HGSS in particular, it is scarily powerful for that point in the game and if you don't have the tools for it, you are definitely at risk of getting clapped. However, Metapod and Kakuna? Really? No Johto bugs at all? No Yanma? Not even a Ledyba or Spinarak? I'd give him an underleveled Ledian and Ariados, tbh. (Hey Falkner was rocking an underleveled Pidgeotto. If he can be shady, so can Bugsy. Besides, Ledian and Ariados aren't that strong for that early in the game, especially Ledian). However, his other teams are much better and display a good selection of bugs. Pinsir, Shedinja, Vespiquen, Armaldo, Forretress, Shuckle, and Heracross (who seems to be his ace in the Adventures manga now that I think about it). He even decides to evolve his Scyther into Scizor so yay!

Memorability: Bugsy's memorability is questionable. He does have a lot to offer with his great designs, charming personality, and even him being an introduction to the real potential of bug types. Hey, he invented an entire bug type move. However, his initial gym battle is pretty lacking, except for the deceptively strong Scyther in HGSS and that sorta hurts him. Plus, considering he's sandwiched between a gym leader infamous for being too easy and a gym leader infamous for being too hard, Bugsy kinda gets forgotten. Still, there's a lot to like in this character when you really get to know him.

10/10. 11/10. I don't care. These are my reviews and in my reviews, I will not hesitate to break the rules! Bugsy's near perfect. He's adorable, he's powerful, he's charming, he's fun, I love this dork so much.

 

[RichestAirPirate]

The Incredibly Pretty Girl. Nay... The Dynamite Pretty Gal! And definitely the most infamous of all Johto Gym Leaders and possibly in general. It's the Whit and I got a lot to say about her.

Design: Like the previous gym leaders, Whitney comes off as a sort of upgrade to an existing trainer class, in this case: The lasses. Although, it isn't as clear in her design. In Gen 2, she wears a white short sleeve shirt with light red accents, white short shorts, solid dark blue socks, and white and red shoes. Also, believe it or not, some old official art from an old Game Freak website reveals that she's wearing a dark blue crop top of sorts underneath her shirt. She has brown eyes and light pink hair tied in twin pigtails. The Plain Badge is planted right on the left side of her chest. Compared to the looks of the common lasses, who wear skirts and had longer hair around the time of Gen 2, Whitney stands out from them. She's not overly girly or casual like them, but comes off as more active and sporty. Gen 4 updates her look overall. Her hair's darker, the red accents on her shirt are darker too, she's given dark blue short shorts, her socks gain black stripes, she's got a band of sorts on her right wrist, two yellow barrettes on the sides of her hair, big golden buttons are added to her shirt, her crop top seems to have been swapped out for some sort of black undershirt, and she's given pink eyes to match her hair. This is a really nice visual update overall. It's cute, sporty, charming, it all looks really good! Hard to find an issue with it.

Personality: With Whitney, what you see with her is what you get. An extra energetic, fun loving, and loud girl that loves cuteness. She's also a bit inexperienced and airheaded, claiming to only have just recently gotten into Pokémon and having a habit of forgetting things. There's also that crybaby side of her. She cries whenever she's defeated but it comes off as less of a temper tantrum and more as a way of venting since she's oddly quick to pick herself back up after a crying session. According to a fella in the PWT, she also likes softball and her clothing is meant to reflect that. Considering she competes in the Pokéathlon, this sporty side of Whitney checks out. In the Japanese versions of the games, Whitney, like pretty much all of Goldenrod residents, speaks in the Kansai dialect, which makes sense considering Goldenrod is based on Osaka, the largest city in Kansai, which Johto is based on. The Kansai dialect is often translated as a sort of Southern American accent, and this is actually kinda follows suit for Whitney. Her English dialogue does sort of portray that country accent with a lot of "ain't" and "in'" instead of "ing" showing up in her speech. This all comes together to make Whitney a really lively character. She's a little girly, a tad tomboyish, a dash of immaturity, a touch of ditzy, a sprinkle of loud, but she's still a good hearted person at the end of the day. She's a live wire and I find that really charming. She's kind of like a stereotypical American country girl. Hey, considering her ace Pokémon is a cow that she met on a farm, can you really blame me? This personality is pretty consistent across all incarnations of her too.

Gym: In Gen 2, it's a maze of flowers, ornaments, and greenery. A much better maze than Bugsy's pitiful attempt at one, but nothing to wow you on an initial glance. However, the maze is actually in the shape of a Clefairy, which actually is kinda clever and cute. In Gen 4, they added stairs and arches to make it a bit more dynamic, but it kinda comes at the cost of making the Clefairy shape just a biiiiiiit harder to notice.

Battle: The gym battle is the reason why Whitney is infamous. The Clefairy lead is fine. It's a cute Pokémon, but it's generally harmless unless it gets lucky with Metronome. But after that comes the reason why Whitney has her reputation: Miltank. Strong stats, Stomp to flinch you, Attract to disrupt your males (and more than likely your starter which is usually your strongest Pokémon), Milk Drink to ward off chip damage, and Rollout to slam any birds you have, crush your Quilavas, and sweep a whole team. In HGSS, this thing drops one level in exchange for Scrappy to stomp Ghosts and a Lum Berry to heal any status given to it. That cow is a monster and the nightmare to many Johto trainers. Aside from that, her other teams are diverse with normal types. She's got delicate cuties like Delcatty, Lopunny, Blissey, Wigglytuff, and Cinccino, but also big strong brutes like Tauros and Ursaring, and even some quirkier stuff like Ambipom, Lickilicky, Girafarig, and Bibarel. She's not just one note.

Memorability: That gym battle does a LOT of heavy lifting for Whitney's memorability. She's probably the reason why Miltank is so recognizable. However. that gym battle being brutal to greenhorns to Pokémon has given her a bad name and made her the subject of many an old meme. That's honestly a bit of a shame and kinda makes me feel bad for Whitney. It seems even the Adventures manga writers kinda liked to make Whitney something of a joke too because they did my girl DIRTY in that continuity! It sucks that Whitney's got bad reputation because there's tons of charm in the character that makes her stand out quite a lot beyond just being a difficult boss fight.

With great designs, an extremely fun and charming personality, a strong team of Normal Pokémon of different varieties, and some quirky stuff to boot, Whitney's a character I feel is underrated and kinda overrated. She's more than just an infamously hard fight that ends with her throwing a tantrum. She's a real unique member of the Pokémon cast that doesn't get enough appreciation. Whitney gets a 10/10. I am a firm defender of this character.

 

[RichestAirPirate]

Mort. Matsuba. The Mystic Seer of the Future. Let's unravel this fella.

Design: Tbh, GSC Morty doesn't really look all that hot. Straight yellow hair with a necklace. A Light blue headband. Light blue and yellow long sleeve shirt, grey sweatpants, and yellow black and white shoes. Now, this design is fiiiiine... but I don't like it. It doesn't fit a ghost type user. I'm not saying he has to wear dark and purple colors to convey his ghost specialty (although that would certainly help. In fact, his GSC sprite portrays him in darker colors), but you'd think a fella that specializes in ghost types, is capable of seeing the future, and has a gym with a lot of sages and mediums would look a little more mystical? A little more melancholic? I don't like the bright colors. HGSS, being the GOATED games that they are, change Morty's design. His overall color scheme changes from Light Blue and Yellow to Purple, Black, and Red. A black sweater with purple cuffs, a long purple scarf with a yellow emblem on it and red blood-ish patterns on the ends. White pants, and purple black and red shoes. Now, I did say he doesn't have to wear darker colors to portray his ghost type, but he does rook this look very well. It's a great improvement over the old design. Although, I do wish the yellow emblem was replaced with the Fog badge on the old design. However, a staple of his design is his half lidded eyes. That gives him the vibe of a rather relaxed and laid back fella, but also kinda makes him look someone who took some... substances.

Personality: Morty's calm, observant, and focused on fulfilling the wish he has to see Ho-Oh. He's also a bit wise and supportive to those that have powerful potential just like him, so much so, he even envies the player for being able to go explore freely in the original games. In the remakes, he makes the suggestion that they head to Olivine City. He also acts as a good counterpart to his boyfriend Eusine, who is more lively and flamboyant in the search for the Legendary Beasts. Morty even says that he doesn't have that much interest in Suicune, but is a bit more interested in Entei and Raikou. Overall, Morty's a chill dude. His future seeing powers is a little odd in the manga though, where it becomes less of seeing the future and more of being able to locate things from far away. A little lame but alright.

Gym: A dark gym with an invisible/unseeable path. Take the wrong way, and you go all the way back to the start. It's a fine gym puzzle. Fits a supernatural Pokémon user pretty well too.

Battle: This is... okay, why did they make a ghost user in a gen with only 2 ghost type lines? If they're gonna do that, at least give him all the ghosts available! His battle has 1 Gastly, 2 Haunters, and 1 Gengar. Not a single Misdreavus! Granted, Misdreavus isn't obtainable in gen 2 until Mt. Silver but still! It's not even that strong! Luckily, his rematches fix this error by giving him more variety of ghosts. Dusknoir, Drifblim, Sableye, Froslass, Banette, Chandelure, Gengar, and of course, Mismagius. Although, his Mismagius sets kinda suck. However, brief shoutout to Masters for finally giving Morty his wish by making him form a Sync Pair with Ho-Oh!

Memorability: Morty's the first ghost type gym leader of the series. Compared to the previous Johto Gym Leaders, Morty's a lot more casual and kinda has big brother energy. However, his memorability is kinda lacking. His ace Pokémon is Gengar, but that's not entirely his fault since it's the only ghost type in Gen 2 that's actually a good Pokémon, but it overlaps with the ace of the previous gen's ghost user! Misdreavus should've been his ace, or at least a member on his team, since the very beginning. Although, if Misdreavus/Mismagius was his ace, it would cause a little overlap with Fantina. But we'll get to that lady when we get to Sinnoh. His Gen 2 design being drastically different from his Gen 4 design is notable. He's sort of a prime example of the great glow ups HGSS gave the cast. Btw, a little funny thing I like to think of is viewing Gen 2 Morty as Slim Shady and Gen 4 Morty as Eminem. I dunno why but I just sorta do that.

Morty's got a lot to like. His casual and relaxed personality is nice. I like his mystical clairvoyant powers, despite not being a psychic user. And he won't be the last non-psychic specialist that has supernatural powers in the first place. I like his ties to Eusine too. However, he does have a good amount of flaws like his team and his Mismagius sets. Seriously, look them up. They're lowkey trash. Overall, I'd give Morty a firm 8/10. I really like ghost boy.